Love Among the Marauders
by mackerel sky
Summary: COMPLETE. SLASH. James ends it with Sirius, who picks some fights, breaks some hearts, and confesses his sins to Remus. Who’s wise and taciturn and kind of…hot. R for language & implied sex, not graphic action.
1. Sirius Lashes Out

Disclaimer: Not my characters.

NB: SLASH. 

Rating: R for language and implied sex. 

Summary: After four years, James breaks it off with Sirius to be with Lily, who is preoccupied with cursing her evil ex-boyfriend. Sirius reacts by sleeping and/or fighting with everyone he possibly can. Including Lucius Malfoy. Eventually, he notices that the only sane person in his entire life is Remus. Oh, yeah…Remus.

PS: Reviews are very welcome. Thanks for reading!

Sirius looks up and closes his book. "I thought we weren't going to do this anymore." 

James says nothing. 

"I thought Lily was the one. And all that shit. That you were ready to make the shift to your adult life."

"Yeah, I thought so, too." 

"But no?" Sirius is on his feet in an instant, predatory, his narrowed eyes alight. James knows that Sirius chose to change into a Grim for Remus, to be a fellow canine, and he is named for the Dog Star, after all, but James always thinks Sirius should have picked a cat. Hard-muscled and supple with big velvety feet. A panther, maybe, his whole long body silky with the inky hair James twines around his fingers when they kiss. "I'll take that as a no, then," murmurs Sirius, already upon him, pressing him hard against the just-closed door, his hands wandering, his tongue deep in James's mouth. 

James breaks away and says, "Bloody hell, Sirius. Can we talk about this?" 

"No." Sirius's face is closed, his eyes bright and hot. "No talking. Fuck or get out." 

"Sirius. Damn it. It's complicated." 

"No. It really isn't." Sirius throws himself backward onto the bed, settles into the pillows, and reopens his book. "People just say that when they want more than one thing. When they don't want to choose. That's weak, James. I'm not interested in weak. Now get out." 

Later, sitting opposite Remus in the library, Sirius flips irritably through a book of hexes. Remus glances up at him, says, "I hope you aren't planning anything."

"Not just at the moment. Why? Am I making you nervous?"

"I feel fairly certain I'm not the one who needs to worry."

"Oh, no? Who, then, is my intended victim?"

"Sirius. You can't make him do what you want."

"Why not?"

"It just doesn't…work that way."

"How does it work then? Because however it's working right now is unbearable." Sirius looks devastated and also petulant. Which is a combination that Remus cannot imagine anyone else managing to make so attractive. The thing about Sirius, which is both exasperating and wholly explanatory, is that he is irresistible, six foot two, snake-hipped and broad-shouldered, with a fine-boned, arrogant face. He has straight black hair, smoldering black eyes, and big pouty girl lips. 

Remus sighs and pushes aside his books. "It's possible James is frightened."

"What? Of what?"

"Of not being…normal. I mean, far more than you or I, he has a bit of a taste for the white picket fence. Perhaps he wants children. That kind of thing."

"Well we can have children!" exclaims Sirius in disgusted exasperation.

Remus starts laughing. "Excuse me… What?"

"Well, I'm sure we could round one up somewhere. Or several. Whatever he wants. That's no trouble."

"Right. Yes. Round them up. Perhaps what I mean is that neither of you can _have_ them."

"Well, but that's hardly the point. It's the bringing them up that matters."

This is such a sensible thing to say that Remus is silent for several minutes.

"The thing is, Moony," Sirius continues earnestly, "I already know. This is just a huge waste of time." 

"Maybe he needs to feel like he knows. Like you aren't making all the decisions for both of you." Then, more briskly, "And while you're straightening it out, please ease up on the whole pouting sex god thing. If one more person asks me if you're single, I may have to start dating you myself."

Sirius grins and throws a book at his head.

Despite all this romantic conviction, Sirius chooses to play it as though he has lost interest in the matter entirely. Even Remus, who is privy to Sirius's despair, sometimes loses track of the situation when he sees Sirius pressing some nubile young thing of either sex up against a wall, his hands roaming freely. One day, on his way to lunch, Remus finds the halls packed solid with students entertained by a mysterious spectacle. Peter appears at his elbow. He gestures at the crush, asks, "Any idea what all this is?"

Peter rolls his eyes. "Sirius. Of course."

"Sirius! What on earth is he doing?"

"Dueling with Malfoy."

"What? Why?"

"Malfoy caught him shagging Julian Asherton." The slender, red-haired Julian flirts shamelessly, but has never before, to Remus's knowledge, strayed from Malfoy. Trust Sirius to antagonize the only person in the school who is possibly a magical match for him. 

Remus forces his way through the crowd, emerging in time to see Sirius skillfully block an explosion from Malfoy's wand that flattens into a wall of sparks and vanishes. Malfoy, enraged, begins another attack, but before he finishes the words of his spell, both wands vanish. They are instantly on each other, Sirius's fist hitting Malfoy's jaw, Malfoy tumbling Sirius to the floor of the hallway. By the time Remus and two hefty Slytherins have dragged them apart, both boys are panting and bloody. 

Malfoy straightens his clothes, eyes Sirius, and asks, "How was it for you?"

"Tsk, tsk," says Sirius, grinning. "You don't own the boy, Lucius. And you may have noticed he was quite enjoying himself…" 

Malfoy smiles dangerously. "As were you, judging by your, ah, enthusiasm."

Sirius looks blank for a moment.

Malfoy continues, "Nothing quite like a blue-blooded fuck, is there, Sirius?"

Sirius lunges, but Remus, arms firmly around his waist, mutters, "Steady on," just as an irate McGonagall appears through the quickly dispersing crowd. She is holding both their wands in one hand. After being bawled out, docked house points, given detention, and dismissed, Sirius and Malfoy snarl at each other and are dragged off by their respective friends. 

Remus sits Sirius down on the edge of a sink in a hall bathroom and sponges the blood off his face. "Now. What the hell are you doing?"

"I don't know." Sirius stands up and kicks the wall hard, says, "Ow."

"How long since you've spoken to James?"

"Maybe a week."

"And your plan is…?"

"To dull the pain, obviously, Moony. You bloody git."

"And how's that working out for you?" asks Remus, gently touching Sirius's rapidly swelling eye.

"Ouch. Bloody hell. Don't do that."

"Here," Remus uses his wand to freeze the water in the sink, knocks out a block of ice, wraps it in a handkerchief, and hands it to Sirius.

"Thanks."

"I think you should talk to him." 

"Why? He's made his choice."

"He's still your friend. I don't think you want to lose him entirely."

Sirius just shrugs and holds the ice to his eye.

James and Sirius have been together since they were fourteen, with a few gaps, all initiated by James and romantically exploited by the more promiscuous Sirius. In the beginning, in the vague rules of their attachment, girls were not an issue. Remus remembers them side by side on the couch at the tail end of Gryffindor parties, making out with two of the house's female heartbreakers, and then disentangling themselves and going up to bed together. 

As far as Remus knows, James has never had any interest in another boy. Sirius seems to prefer boys, but perhaps he just prefers James. By last year, Remus thought that James had finally made peace with the fact that no girl would ever hold his attention the way Sirius does. Or did. Remus is not sure what to think about Lily. 

Of all the lovelier Gryffindors in or around their year, Lily Evans is the only one who has never been involved with either James or Sirius. And James has had a crush on her for years. Which never made any impression on Sirius, who finds Lily too prim to be interesting. Remus is not sure this is a fair assessment. Lily is scrupulous about rules, which Sirius finds both incomprehensible and sanctimonious, but she is also hot-tempered and occasionally capable of a brutality that Remus finds rather shocking. 

At first, Remus assumed that James was so elated to have Lily finally pay attention to him that he forgot to worry about Sirius for a while. Now, however, there is a ponderous quality of choosing in his alliance with her, and in his break with Sirius, that is new. They have never split this way before. And Remus is aware that Sirius, who is very hurt and hates to be abandoned, will have plenty of opportunity to do something stupid. 

One difference between James and Sirius, as the most drooled-over boys at Hogwarts, is that James is beloved of sweet-natured girl groupies. Sirius has a more dissolute fan club. When he and James have been apart, he has slept with any number of people whom he either won't admit by name to Remus, or who have stalked him in ways that would be disturbing if Sirius weren't so capable of defending himself. Malfoy is not one of these people, but Remus, who is wary of him anyway, sees their spat in the hallway as a reprise of another fight. 

Several months earlier, James and Sirius had been standing in the courtyard, James showing off with his stolen snitch, Sirius watching him irritably. Sirius said, "James. Put that damned thing away. I'm bored."

James grinned, "Can't have that," and began jinxing the hair color of half the students in the courtyard. There was a wave of shock and then hilarity as people noticed what was happening. The enraged Lily had hair as green as her eyes. 

When James got to Malfoy, he said, "Hmmm. Pink, I think…" and then hit the ground as Sirius tackled him. 

James said, "What the hell…?" and looked up from under Sirius to see Malfoy, wand out, watching them sourly. There was an enormous scorch mark on the wall behind them. 

Sirius leapt up, said, "Hardball then," and shot a hex that Malfoy blocked adeptly. Someone shouted that a professor was coming, James swiftly returned everyone's hair, and Malfoy and Sirius backed away from each other, scowling. Malfoy had a burn mark on his throat and Sirius's robe was torn open. 

Remus, looking them over in the library afterward, raised his eyebrows and said to Sirius, "He tried to tear your clothes off? Very dangerous magic." James raised his own eyebrows, laughing, and looked at Sirius with mock accusation. Sirius looked furious and rather flushed. 

When James tells Lily about the fight over Julian, she says, "Look, James. I'm sorry your boyfriend is a lunatic, but I really can't deal with that right now. All right?"

James, who knows that he can't expect from Lily exactly what he had from Sirius, in terms of sympathy or companionship, also knows that she is the last person in whom he should be confiding about his love life. He suddenly feels very lonely.

Lily looks up from her book to see him staring morosely into space. Not exactly sulking, she thinks. Sirius sulks. James, when he is low, is more existentially gloomy.

He sees her looking, says, "I want to tell him."

"You can't."

"Things have gotten so out of control." He stops, groans, says, "He's going to sleep with Malfoy."

"He…what?" She looks at him like he's insane.

"I can tell."

"James. Calm down. Even Sirius must have some standards."

"I don't know. Malfoy's not so bad." He pictures Malfoy's sharp cheekbones and slitted eyes, says, "He actually looks a little like Sirius. Only blond. They have the same build." 

"Yuck. James. Please stop. I'm going to throw up my lunch."

"I need to give him a reason, Lily. He's been in three fights this week and he's probably slept with fifty people. Remus is worried."

Lily says crisply, "Remus has probably slept with fifty people himself this week."

"Lily. For god's sake. What harm can it do?"

"Prophecies are delicate, James. What if it negates the whole thing? Everyone has to think that being together and having a baby is really and truly what we want. I refuse to condemn the wizarding world to carnage and mayhem just because our hormones aren't tickled to death that we're destined for each other. Anyway, we gave Dumbledore our word."

"Great. So I'm just supposed to stand by and watch him self-destruct."

"For god's sake, James. He does have a brain. Did you make all of his decisions when you were going out?"

"Actually," says James ruefully, "I've never had any control over him at all."

Remus says to Sirius, "So. Malfoy."

"What?"

"An inspired way to get back at James."

Sirius tries to look wounded and then laughs. "Moony. I have no intention of getting tangled up with that hell snake. I can't help it if he's interested." He pauses, grins a little, says, "Can you imagine us at the spring dance? It would be like dating Satan."

"So you've thought about it."

"No. I have not. I'm joking. Moony. The thing with Julian was idiotic, but I didn't expect Lucius to go all Othello on me."

"Lucius."

"Fine. Malfoy. I've known him since I was born, for god's sake."

"He's still dangerous."

Sirius looks exasperated, says, "Not to me." Then he pauses and says more quietly, "You think he killed that girl."

"He didn't stop it."

"I know." Sirius closes his eyes for a minute and then says, "Remus. I may behave like a frivolous idiot half the time, but believe that I am just as serious about this war as you and James." He tries to smile, adds, "I'm not a recognized blood traitor just for fun, you know."

Considering the icy and abusive emotional vacuum that was Sirius's childhood, Remus generally thinks the fact that Sirius has a little more fun than other people is well deserved. Right now, however, he has a deep sense of foreboding about Malfoy.

Remus says, "Please just be careful."

"Since I have no intention of doing anything, I won't have to be careful."

"You might not say no." Sirius glares at him irritably. "Sorry. I probably take too much interest in your life." 

"You and everybody else in this bloody sanatorium."

They sit in silence for a few minutes, Remus pretending to read, Sirius doodling lazily.

Finally, Sirius looks up and says, "So. Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff. What's your wager?"

Remus, relieved, answers, "Hufflepuff."

"Really?"

"I'd like to see Corwyn Ambring taken down a notch." 

Sirius grins. "Me too. Then Hufflepuff-Slytherin. I can't imagine Hufflepuff taking that match. Which means us against Slytherin in the finals." His grin fades as he suddenly remembers the match last year, how fiercely he guarded James from the Slytherin beaters, and how, briefly, late in the match, Malfoy, who plays James's position, Seeker, flew into him without any strategic justification, and their bodies smacked together with an angry electricity that he hasn't quite forgotten.

In the next chapter: Lily brews a potion & James and Sirius have angst.


	2. Lily Brews a Potion

Disclaimer: These are not my characters.

NB: This is not smut, but it is SLASH. Please do not read this if 1. You don't like slash 2. You are too young 3. You have a hostile political agenda. Thank you.

PG-13: For language and implied sex. 

PS: Reviews are very welcome. Thanks for reading!

Lily is alone in her room, fussing over a cauldron when Andromeda enters, sniffs suspiciously at the air, and slams the door shut. "What the hell are you doing?" Lily, startled, jumps and turns, knocking a spell book to the ground. Her face is tear-stained. Andromeda's expression softens and she says, "Oh, honey. What on earth is wrong?"

"Corwyn. It's Corwyn. He…"

"Shhhh," says Andromeda, dropping her books on a table and wrapping her arms around Lily. "He's a git. I know this is horrible---"

Lily yanks away, suddenly furious. "You don't know anything about it, with your stupid blue blood and your fancy crest and your sprawling estates---"

"Lily. Calm down. Corwyn's an idiot. He doesn't deserve you. But that's not all of us. I'm all right. Alice is all right. Sirius is all right."

"Sirius is an annoying lunatic."

"Yes. I know." Andromeda tries not to smile. "But he doesn't give a damn about blood and neither do I. That's all I'm saying."

Lily nods and sits down on the bed, her expression pitiful. "But I'm not in love with you."

"Well," says Andromeda bracingly, "I don't honestly know that you're in love with Cor anymore, either. He certainly thinks you aren't. You did leave him for Potter."

"But that was just---"

"What?"

Lily nods again, says, "I know."

"You're not stringing James along, are you? He's been crazy about you for years. There's no need to---"

"Of course not!"

"It is a little weird, Lil. After all this time. You always seemed to hate him so much." She pictures James's messy black hair and devil-may-care grin, the way his breezy self-importance used to evaporate into a hangdog desperation when he looked at Lily. "He was pretty cute when he was pining."

"I never hated him. And anyway, he wasn't pining. He was in love with Sirius. He's still in love with Sirius."

"Oh, that," says Andromeda dismissively. "Teenaged boy love. They'll both be over that in a year or two. What are you doing in here anyway? This looks very…illegal." She approaches the cauldron bubbling gently on Lily's desk. The potion in it is black, viscous, smells faintly of honeysuckle.

"Corwyn invited Bella to watch him in the Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff match."

"She's not going!"

"Yeah, she is."

"And this?"

"I thought I'd make sure there was nothing to watch."

"Lily! What the hell! I mean, before a date in Hogsmeade, maybe, but you can't…this is Quidditch!"

"I don't care."

"You dumped him!"

"He's not too cut up about it though, is he. Just as glad to be rid of the unpresentable Mudblood. Do you know that his parents wouldn't even shake my hand last year when we got off the train together?" Lily's voice breaks. Andromeda remembers.

"All right, honey. I know. It's rotten. But you can't…poison him."

"I'm not going to poison him, just knock him out for a while."

"Lily."

"Fine. I don't think it's working anyway. I never was much good in Potions." Andromeda looks at her warningly. "Fine, Drom, fine, we'll go throw it out together. Will that make you happy?"

"Yes," says Andromeda, continuing to look at Lily warily, "very happy. And then you can come down to dinner. James and Remus are waiting for us."

Lily smiles brightly and says yes and Andromeda thinks that right now, in this state, she doesn't trust Lily Evans at all.

Over dinner, people lay bets on the Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff match. Most of them use Bertie Botts' Every Flavour Beans or licorice sticks or Fizzing Whizbees. One or two offer to do each other's homework. When Sirius sets down a small stack of gold galleons, everyone turns to look. He announces, "Remus and I have decided to back Hufflepuff." He looks at James with exaggerated casualness, says, "You in, Prongs?"

James shrugs and nods, trying to look similarly casual, but the smile breaking across his face is like the sun. He cannot remember a single separation between them that he did not have to end himself. Sirius is not one to extend the olive branch. James feels euphoric, remembers why they have not spoken for a week, and then glances across the table at Lily. "What about you, Lil?"

Lily looks as though there is a pack of ravening dogs at her feet. The blood drains so thoroughly from her face that her lips are chalky. "I can't."

James feels his happiness collapse, wonders if this is about Sirius making peace or her feelings for Ambring or both, thinks how hopelessly lousy it is to be the victim of a prophecy that dictates your love life. His voice is a little hard as he says, "Ravenclaw, then." He can feel Sirius looking at him, knows Sirius knows this isn't what he looks like when he's in lust.

Remus says softly, "Perhaps you aren't in the mood to take a side?"

Lily looks at him gratefully, says, "I just…can't."

James says, "Well I can. Count me in, Padfoot."

Lily says, "James. Please don't."

"Don't what? Bet?"

"Please?"

"Lily. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I can't explain why not. I just wish…I just wish you wouldn't." The entire table is staring at them. Lily realizes she couldn't have made this worse if she'd planned the entire thing in order to get caught. 

Andromeda sitting beside Lily, says lightly, "Gosh, Lil. Anyone would think you had a problem with gambling. Or maybe you're worried the match will be rigged."

"What?" Sirius, scenting intrigue, glances back and forth between them. "Drom," he says, his voice teasing, "What do you know?" Andromeda is his cousin, his favorite cousin, and he knows exactly how she sounds when she's pretending to be innocent. "Just give yourself up and I'll persuade the executioner to be quick."

"Relax, Sirius. It was a joke. No need to get your knickers in a twist. Although," and here she tilts her head and looks at him as if she's checking him out, "I guess you don't wear much in the way of, ah, underthings." This is fairly common knowledge and Sirius has the grace to blush as the attention of the table turns toward him and the forgotten Lily slips away. Once the hilarity dies down and people return to wagering, Sirius notices that James is on his way after Lily. He catches up with him at the entrance, grabbing his arm, and they pivot around the edge of the doorway together, out of sight of the other students.

"James."

"Sirius."

"I'm sorry about before. Let's just forget about all this. It can be how it was. More or less. I mean, if that part of it is over, fine, but we're still us. Having a girlfriend doesn't mean you can't have us. Look at Remus, for god's sake. He has loads of girlfriends."

"That's not exactly what I call them, in the privacy of my own mind."

Sirius laughs. "Poor Moony. So many women, so little emotional satisfaction. Look, can you please just admit that you miss me?" They are wedged into the space behind the stone pillar that frames the door of the dining hall. Their legs have gotten tangled together and Sirius can feel James's thigh pressing between his, can feel the few hot inches of space between their hips. They are both breathing a little unevenly.

"God, Sirius. You know I miss you."

"Then what's the problem?"

"It's… I can't talk about it."

"If you're really in love with Lily," Sirius murmurs, "Then why does this," he shifts his leg, "make you feel like that?" James's eyes are closed. Sirius watches him trying to get hold of himself, suddenly feels guilty, takes a step back and says, "I'll stop if that's what you want."

James opens his eyes. He looks flushed and miserable. "God, I'm so sorry."

"It's fine about Lily. Really. I don't care. Just please let's go back to normal."

"Maybe if you were with someone else…"

"You want me to sleep with someone else."

"I don't know. Maybe. The way it is now is torture."

"Really. Torture." They are standing close together, not touching, James is leaning his head back against the wall. Sirius can see the hard curve of his chest beneath his robe, knows exactly how it dips to the flat plain of his abdomen, loves the twin plates of his narrow hips, the silky line of black hair beneath his naval.

"I mean it, Sirius. This is killing me. I need to be away from you right now."

"For how long?"

"Until I'm not in love with you anymore."

Sirius says sardonically, "We may be dead by then."

James looks at him heavily, pulls himself away from the wall, says, "I know," and walks away. 

In the next chapter: Malfoy hits on Sirius repeatedly.


	3. Malfoy Hits on Sirius Repeatedly

Disclaimer: These are not my characters.

NB: This is not smut, but it is SLASH. Please do not read this if 1. You don't like slash 2. You are too young 3. You have a hostile political agenda. Thank you.

Rating: For language and implied sex. 

PS: Reviews are very welcome. Thanks for reading!

Malfoy finds Sirius in Hogsmeade, illegally, drinking firewhisky and repelling the advances of a pretty barmaid. He waves her off, orders another round, and slides into the booth next to Sirius. He leans back, lets his thigh press against Sirius's leg, says, "I have a proposition for you."

"Go away, Lucius."

"I want two things. I'm willing to accept one."

"Strong bargaining position."

"Come to one of our meetings."

"I'm not interested in your blue-blooded bigots."

"You're one of us, Sirius. Stop fighting it."

"I'm hardly a bigot. My best friend is a werewolf, for god's sake."

"Lupin is a special case. But Evans, for instance. You must admit your life would be significantly better if she, ah, suddenly ceased to exist." He raises his eyebrows suggestively.

Sirius turns to face him, his expression hostile, his black eyes narrow and hot. "If you so much as look at Lily Evans I will beat you until you can't talk."

Malfoy has never been so turned on. He grabs Sirius's head in both his hands and kisses him, hard. Sirius doesn't exactly resist and Malfoy runs his tongue between Sirius's sharp teeth, half-expecting to have it bitten off. Instead he feels Sirius's tongue meet his, for just a moment, and then he is flying out of the booth, hitting the stone floor. He sits up, bruised and laughing. "So. You are interested."

Sirius stands, looks down at him, says, "Don't make me kill you, Lucius," and walks out of the bar. 

Malfoy gets up slowly, rubbing the lump on the back of his head, grins wolfishly at the barmaid, and drops a handful of gold on the table. 

Some days later, glancing out the castle windows, Remus sees Sirius and Malfoy walk into the Forbidden Forest together. Their heads, black and silver blond, are unmistakable. He sets down his book to watch, waits ten minutes and then ten more, but they do not reappear. Finally, slightly worried, he grabs James's invisibility cloak and goes after them.

They are not far under the cover of the trees. Sirius is lounging on a beech root, one leg bent at the knee, the other stretched out, head tipped back against the trunk, eyes half-lidded. Malfoy, standing, looks like he wants to eat him. Holy hell, thinks Remus, this I do not want to see… But then Malfoy speaks and Remus realizes this is not a tryst at all but some kind of conversion attempt.

Malfoy says, "You belong with us."

Sirius shrugs, glances sideways, fiddles with the wildflower he is holding in one hand.

"Sirius. Listen to me."

"Did my mother put you up to this?"

"The tide is turning, Sirius. Pretty soon, I won't be able to protect you." He crouches in front of Sirius, puts one hand on his bent knee, purrs, "But now I can. Right now." Remus feels sick. Sirius seems unmoved.

"Your politics revolt me, Lucius. You already know that. I have no idea why you dragged me out here."

Malfoy reaches out his other hand, turns Sirius's head to face him, asks, with gritty heat, "None?" and leans in. Before he even thinks, Remus has let out a low, hair-raising wolf growl and Malfoy is immediately back on his feet, looking around. "What in the bloody hell was that?"

Sirius is laughing, glancing sideways with raised brows that Remus knows are meant for him. Sirius turns back to Malfoy with an expression of exaggerated innocence and says, "Haven't a clue."

"Hmmm," says Malfoy, still looking around. "We should probably get back." He reaches his hand down, Sirius grasps it and stands, and they are very close together. Sirius can feel Malfoy's cool breath on his mouth, his pale gray irises are clear as water and his skin and eyelashes glow like white metal. He has heard that Lucius is part veela, and he can feel it right now, this close to him, and there is no question that knowing Moony is standing there, invisible, watching, is kind of a turn on. But he also knows how much Remus would not approve and abruptly he steps back.

Malfoy, startled, jerks away, sneers to hide his flash of disappointment. Sirius forgets about Remus for a minute, looking at Malfoy, and runs a hand through his hair. He feels flushed, confused, a little bit sorry. He throws an arm around Malfoy's shoulders and says, "Come on, Lucius. Let's get out of here. There's no telling what might creep up on us." Then, not sure whom he wants to please, he throws a blinding smile over his shoulder, in the direction of the invisible Remus. Remus, watching them walk out of the woods arm in arm, is not mollified. 

That night in the Gryffindor common room, Sirius looks up from a game of wizard chess with a girl whose name Remus can't remember and says, "So. Moony. Enjoying those woodland constitutionals?"

Remus sets aside his paper, says mildly, "I find them rather bracing. The woods are so often full of loathsome creatures."

"No threat to you, I'm sure."

"They're often more focused on each other. Today, for instance, I believe I dissuaded one from, er, attacking another one."

Sirius lets out a bark of laughter, feels James's eyes on him, says, "You're quite the peace-maker."

"I like to think diplomacy is one of my skills."

"God, I'm sick of politics."

"So I've heard."

"And you think I should take more of an interest. Or more of a stand."

"Actually, Sirius, I realized today that I'm done giving you advice."

"Remus! But I live for your advice! That strikes me to my very soul."

"I'm flattered of course, but advice is a little like sex, in a way."

"And exactly as you planned, you cagey bastard, you now have my full attention. How is advice like sex?"

"You can't make a gift of it to the unwilling."

Sirius laughs out loud and several people around them chuckle. James looks mystified and Lily looks furious. Good, thinks Sirius, bonus points for upsetting the irritating redhead. He turns back to his game, checkmates his opponent, and swiftly exits the portrait hole.

He has no idea where he is going, is just walking as fast as he can away from the sight of James, stretched out on the couch, all rumpled hair and sleepy eyes and lazy, Quidditch-hard limbs, with Lily curled next to him like she owns him.

James catches up with him halfway up the staircase to the owlery. "Sirius…"

Sirius turns around so fast their chests smack together. "What?"

"I, uh… What was that all about? With Remus?"

"That was fast."

"What was?"

"Falling out of love with me. I must be losing my touch."

"No. I just---"

"Need some time. I know. I'm giving it to you. Why are you following me?"

"Why were you in the Forbidden Forest today?"

"You're spying on me now?"

"I'm…worried."

"I have Remus for that."

"I thought you wanted things to go back to normal."

"I lied before, about Lily. It's not all right. You can't have both of us." 

"Sirius. I never wanted this to be so…terminal."

"It's unfortunate, but there you are." He turns around and starts climbing again. James follows. When Sirius pushes open the door at the top of the stairs, a tall figure turns from the far window to face them, his pale hair glowing in the moonlight. Sirius laughs. "Lucius."

Malfoy smiles and runs his thumb along his lower lip. "I had no idea you were bringing a friend. Probably not my first choice but," his eyes glide slowly along James's frame. James feels irritated and also sort of dirty, "it's possible he looks better naked."

"Shut up, Lucius." Sirius's voice is devoid of malice but somehow James can tell that this is an accidental meeting. 

"Yes," Malfoy murmurs, drifting toward them, "in a moment, I will."

Sirius grabs Malfoy's wrists and says, "Not a good time. All right?" And something about the intimacy of this gesture gives James pause. Maybe tonight was an accident, but there is a history here, or maybe a future, that he does not want to understand. He sees Malfoy watching him, looking pleased, and knows that his surprise and alarm and anger are all over his face.

Then Sirius is saying, "James, for god's sake---" but it is already too late, James is halfway down the stairs, putting all the distance between himself and Sirius that he can. Sirius hurtles after him but comes to a stop in the hall, closing his eyes and trying to breathe. He feels Malfoy's hands on his shoulders, his soft breath in his ear, and thinks, it doesn't even matter what I do. 

When Sirius wakes up in the Slytherin dorm the next morning, he realizes he has gone too far. Part of him is pleased by this but most of him wishes he were dead. He slips out of Malfoy's bed, yanks his robe over his head, and creeps out the dungeon door. Halfway down the outer passage, he runs into Julian.

"My, my," says Julian.

"Shut up."

"I can think of several people who will be extremely interested to hear about this."

Sirius looks at him murderously and then slams him up against the stone wall.

"Mmmm," murmurs Julian. "I guess you already know I like it rough."

Disgusted, Sirius steps away from him, collects himself, laughs. "Say what you like, Julian. I've got nothing to be ashamed of. Perhaps you should be a little concerned that Lucius's attention is wandering."

"Yes. I suppose it is," Julian's voice is soft, his eyes narrow and evil. "He's not the only one."

"No?" Sirius drawls, pretending to boredom, examining his hands, "And I should be interested in these other, ah, wanderers?"

"Let's just say that I'm not the only fickle redhead in our year."

Sirius's eyes snap up. "What? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"The lovely Lily has not quite parted ways with Corwyn Ambring. She's cheating on the light of your, er, loins."

Before he can stop himself, Sirius has decked Julian, whom he outweighs by at least two stone, and is staring at his limp body on the dungeon floor. After a moment, he picks him up, uses the password he heard Malfoy mutter the previous night to slip back into the Slytherin common room, deposits him on a couch, stares down two appalled and curious Fifth Years, and departs at a run for Gryffindor.

When Sirius bursts into his room, James is pawing through his trunk, hunting for a lost textbook. He looks up to see Sirius, flushed, disheveled, panting, his hair disarrayed in the distinctive manner that means he has recently had sex. James is too angry to speak.

Sirius's voice is low and oddly earnest as he asks, "Are you all right?"

James makes a Herculean effort to control himself, says coldly, "I know it's no longer my place to tell you whom to sleep with, but I would have thought---"

Sirius immediately protests, "Not about me…"

James would be mystified if he weren't so furious. "Get the hell out of here, Sirius."

Sirius backs into the door. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come."

In the next chapter: Sirius seduces James for the last time and Lily obtains a potion.


	4. The Last Seduction

Disclaimer: These are not my characters.

NB: This is not smut, but it is SLASH. 

Rating: For language and implied sex. 

PS: Reviews are very welcome. Thanks for reading!

Sirius ambushes James in a grove of trees behind the Quidditch field. The sky is very black, pricked and smeared with icy stars. There is no moon. James is leaning against an elm. Sirius walks up and stands next to him. Not touching, not talking.

Eventually, James says, "Go away, Sirius. This thing with Lily. It's…final."

"I don't believe you." Sirius rotates to face him, their bodies almost touching. "You're obviously delusional." He aligns their hips, runs his hands around to the small of James' back. "Probably from lack of a good---"

"Stop it."

Sirius takes a step back, says, "Fine." Then he says, his voice toneless, "And you're sure she's with you?"

"You think she's cheating on me."

"God, James. I'm sorry---"

"Sirius. Shut up for a minute. I'm going to break a vow right now. For you. All right? Because you're driving me to it and apparently my integrity is worth less than I thought. Or maybe just less you are." Sirius nods, waits. "There's a prophecy that requires Lily and me to be together."

There is a very long pause. Sirius leans against a tree, a whole-body sarcasm replacing his tension, and says, "Huh."

"What?"

"Odd prophecy. Thou shalt throw over the love of your life for a girl who's loathed you for six years. And can't tear herself away from her lunk of an ex. I'd have thought saving the world would involve something a little more obviously heroic."

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint you, but apparently not. Nor am I thrilled to get nailed by the fates just when I was about to be free to live my life. All right? So don't look at me like that." James clenches his jaw, takes a breath, says, "I am sorry about all this. You know that, right?"

"Are you?"

"What does that mean?"

"Maybe you're relieved."

"What?"

Sirius gestures between them. "This. The whole question of our unorthodox relations, just…poof! Perhaps it's rather nice." 

James grabs his wrist. They both look at his hand. James remembers Sirius grabbing Malfoy's wrist in the owlery and then bursting into his room with sex hair. "Or maybe you're relieved. Now you can go back to Malfoy."

Sirius looks as though James has struck him. He shakes his wrist loose, says, "Please, James. Don't say things like that." He is very pale.

"Why not?" And suddenly, James is shuddering with rage. "You fuck the most loathsome piece of slime on the entire planet and I'm just supposed to keep my mouth shut? How did you think I'd feel? You woke up in bed with him, Sirius. In his bed." Somehow the intimacy of that is the worst. If they had just had sex in the Forbidden Forest or in an empty classroom and then separated, but the idea that Sirius actually fell asleep there…afterward…as if he were that comfortable, that sated, with Malfoy's head on his chest, his fingers twined in that silky, silver hair… James thinks he may be sick. "Unorthodox," says James bitterly. "You think that was the problem? The problem is that you're such a fucking slut."

"James," says Sirius, his voice raw, "I'd poke my eyes out if that would undo it, but you did break up with me. You're with Lily."

"God, you're such an idiot. I thought if anyone could tell it was a farce…"

"It isn't a farce. You chose this. Lily, or this prophecy, whatever it is. Over me."

"You were just supposed to know, Sirius. Just see through it. Not sleep around and make me break my word to Dumbledore."

"James. Fine. We're both wrong. Please shut up." Sirius slides his hands under James's belt, yanks their hips together, his lips on James's cheek, searching for his mouth. James can feel Sirius's erection pressing against him and is mildly amazed, somewhere in the midst of his despair, that Sirius is always so bloody horny. 

James pushes him off and suddenly they are fighting. James feels his fist meet the hard muscles of Sirius's abdomen and then his legs collapse beneath him as Sirius tackles him. They roll across the wet grass, struggling. James is on top for a minute, tries to lock Sirius's legs with his knees, and then is abruptly on his back, his arms pinned behind his head, Sirius's hair falling into his face. 

Sirius murmurs, "Now I've got you." 

James knows he is immobilized, knows he already knew Sirius would do this. He says, "God. Please don't do this. It just…hurts. Sirius. I can't---"

"Shhhh," says Sirius.

"Please. You idiot," says James, but Sirius just shakes his head no, and James closes his eyes, and gives himself up to Sirius's soft mouth. 

Malfoy, watching from the shadows, feels as though all the blood in his body has turned to bile. He does not think it is the sight of Sirius's slim, long form on top of someone else, or of that black hair brushing someone else's face. Malfoy is not monogamous by nature and though he expects fidelity from Julian, he understands that Sirius is in a different league, is so desirable precisely because he cannot be controlled. What he can't bear is that focus, that combination of presumption and tenderness that is the nature of possessive love. He has never felt it; he is sure none of the suck-ups and mercenaries he sleeps with has felt it for him. 

Or maybe he did feel it, briefly, when Sirius, with the charismatic ease of someone who is used to being loved said to him afterward, "Come here," and guided Malfoy's cheek into the hollow of his shoulder, rested his jaw against the top of his head, and gently stroked his hair. Perhaps, just then, Malfoy felt contented, peaceful, a little bit loved. Not, he reminds himself irritably, that it meant a bloody thing. Malfoy, who usually likes to watch, feels like someone is rubbing the skin off his body with sandpaper.

On his way back down to the Slytherin dungeon, he runs into Lily. "Why, Miss Evans," he says, bowing slightly. "Looking for your boyfriend?"

"I… No." She looks at him warily. "Why?"

"Well because I've just seen him. He is, even as we speak, out on the lawn beyond the Quidditch field, fucking _his_ boyfriend into oblivion. Have a pleasant evening." The sight of Lily's mouth dropping open and then hardening into a line cheers him considerably. He keeps walking, but almost immediately feels Lily's hand on his arm. "What is it, Miss Evans?"

"I need to talk to Snape."

"I know infidelity is rather shocking, and Severus is a fine, er, figure of a---"

"Shut up, Malfoy. Just let me into the Slytherin common room so I can talk to him."

Snape raises his eyebrows when he sees Lily but agrees to follow her to an empty classroom. She says, "I need a potion."

"And I would do that because?"

"You owe me."

This is true. Two years earlier, Lily had taken up for Snape against James and Sirius more than once. He had been rather nasty about it, insisting that he did not need the help of a filthy Mudblood. Then, one cold late-March evening of the previous year, she had found him drenched from a ducking in the lake and quite naked, standing behind a beech tree, crying with frustration, trying to decide what to do. She had offered him her cloak, and walked him back up into the castle, so that rather than seeming to have been humiliated in a prank, he appeared, briefly, to be enjoying the voluntary company of the lovely Lily Evans. 

Lily says, "Well?"

"What's it for?"

"To knock someone out."

"Ah. Who?"

"I want Corwyn to drop off his broom during the Hufflepuff match."

"Evans. Such malice."

"Yeah, well. I was almost a Slytherin."

Snape cocks an eyebrow, then says, "Did you have anything in mind?"

"I tried to make a Black Grotto, but it came out kind of perfumy."

He looks mildly impressed, says, "That one's tricky. And not strong enough. He's, what? Six two, six three? Twelve or thirteen stone?" She shrugs, nods. "I have something better. Works on contact with bare skin. Guaranteed to knock out a werewolf." Off of her look, he adds, "Don't underestimate me, Evans."

"I don't. Any side effects?"

"Just a rather evil hangover."

James won't even speak to Sirius after the incident on the lawn. Sirius can't believe it. Remus says, "We've been over this, you idiot. Sex is not an emotional panacea."

"For me it is."

"You didn't get seduced against your will."

"Moony. Believe me. He was very willing."

"Please don't share. What I mean is, you aren't going to be able to fix this by fucking his brains out."

Sirius laughs. "I can't believe you actually just said that. Remus Lupin. This is an historic occasion."

"You drove me to it. Look, I know this is terrible, but the truth is, you both need a break. And I need a break. If you can't focus on Arithmancy, you're going to have to get out of here."

Sirius nods, not quite sulking, and wanders back to the common room. When Lily comes in, he says, "Where's James?"

"Why?"

"I want him."

"You don't say. Hiding from you, as it happens."

He steps toward her and she involuntarily steps back. The wall is just behind her. Sirius's eyes are very black and hot. He seems enormous, suddenly, and she struggles to keep her composure. He places his hands flat against the wall on either side of her head, leans in, says, "Is that right?" Then he smiles at her and her stomach flips over and she can't tell if she's frightened or kind of…interested. Bloody hell. Sirius Black. Whom she hates. "And I guess you aren't busy comforting him because you have some, ah, extracurricular interests to take care of?"

Now she's furious. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She puts her hands up to push him away and instantly wishes she hadn't because pushing on him is like pushing on granite. He brings one hand down and traps her wrists. She feels like a bird, wishes she were bigger. This would never happen to a tall, muscular, Quidditch-playing girl. But she still has her tongue. "Oh. I see. Infidelity. Well, you're the expert. James will be very hurt when he finds out you let your little demon boy toy watch the other night." Sirius looks startled, drops her wrists. She smiles evilly at him. "Good luck keeping that a secret."

"What---?"

"I ran into him afterward. He provided me with a little recap. 'Fucking into oblivion,' I think, was the phrase he used. He seemed quite titillated. You're clearly keeping him very happy." Sirius just stares at her, alarmed and wounded. She wonders how she ever felt scared of him. After a moment, she steps away and heads toward the stairs.

"Lily---" He sounds bereft. 

She doesn't turn around. She is perfectly aware that of course he had no idea about Malfoy, but she's too angry to care.

When James comes in, Sirius follows him up to his room and tries to wrap his arms around him but James shrugs him off and then slams him hard against the wall. Sirius does not resist and his head smacks back against the stone. 

James lets go and says, "You can't fix this. I'm sorry but you can't." He takes a deep breath. "In fact, you're making such an ass of yourself that it's finally getting easier. So. This is the end."

"James. I should have figured it out, about you and Lily. You're right. I'm an idiot. But now I know. And the whole thing with Lucius, with Malfoy… God, James, I'd do anything to make that---"

James looks exhausted. "It makes a good break. It was ending anyway."

"What? No it wasn't. It was not. James. What are you saying? I love you."

"Maybe. I don't know. I mean, if I weren't around, you'd obviously be fucking someone."

Sirius looks stricken.

"You know it's true. So I got lucky for a few years. That was nice. But now it's over. Something larger is happening. The world is bigger than we are, Sirius. And I know you don't want to understand this, maybe you can't understand it, but it's more important than we are. If I can be part of stopping what's coming then I'm not going to get derailed by…hormones." 

Sirius steps away from him, backs toward the door, very softly says, "Goodbye, James." James sits down on the bed and watches him leave, waits for the click of the door for so long that he finally realizes Sirius must already be gone.

In the next chapter: Sirius seduces Malfoy and ignores his politics…for a while 


	5. Sirius and Malfoy

Disclaimer: These are not my characters.

NB: This is not smut, but it is SLASH, so, you know, you've been warned.

Rating: For language and implied sex.

PS: Reviews are very welcome.

To The Brat Prince: Yeah, not a lot of transition words. In combination with the present tense, I've weeded out a lot of conjunctions to try and create a sense of immediacy, but maybe it's driving people totally crazy. I think it's less extreme in this chapter. In any case, I appreciate the review and I'm glad you're liking the idea.

To Ivy Crane: This chapter is Sirius/Lucius, but Sirius/Remus is coming.

Thanks for reading!

Not long after this, when Malfoy passes Sirius in an empty hallway, Sirius pushes him up against the wall and kisses him for several breathless minutes. When he pulls away, Malfoy just stares at him, breathing hard. Sirius says, "Fine. All right. Yes."

Malfoy expects that the whole thing will be furtive, sordid, a dirty secret between them, that they will meet in dusty closets and dungeon passages and avoid each other in public. He is quite wrong. 

Sirius is unused to being alone, desperate to fill the vacuum left by James, perennially horny. Malfoy, initially icy and skeptical, finds himself worn down by Sirius's warmth. He likes having someone to whisper in his ear and sling an arm around his shoulders and huck toast crusts at his head from the Gryffindor table. He likes the fact that they look spectacular together, the way girls murmur when they pass in the halls.

And Sirius is fun. He is constantly risking their lives with a buoyancy that Malfoy, once he gives himself up to it, finds intoxicating. The night Malfoy feels his fingers slip from the outer sill of the owlery window and his body lurch into space, he thinks that Sirius has finally gone too far, but then he is slamming into Sirius's hard chest and warm arms, the whack of the broom on his thigh leaving a bruise that won't fade for a month, and when he hears Sirius laughing and shushing him, he realizes, with a strange alarm, that for the very first time in his life he is happy.

Remus says to Sirius, "You aren't in love with him."

"No. I'm not. What on earth is your point? I'm sorry to shock you, Moony, but it's hardly the first time I've---"

"How does he feel?"

"You can't seriously expect me to believe that you care."

"I think he may care quite a bit. And he's dangerous enough as it is."

"Oh for god's sake. You think the fact that I'm using Malfoy for sex is going to contribute to the apocalypse?"

"You aren't using him for sex. You're using him for companionship."

Sirius looks exasperated. "That actually sounds less depraved." 

"Believe me when I tell you it's worse."

"God, Moony. I'm so lonely. And horny."

"You're an idiot. And you do have friends."

"Well of course I do, Moony, darling, but I can't expect you to, ah…"

"To what?" And off of Sirius's expression, "Fine. Yes. No. But can't you date someone a little less incendiary?"

Sirius just shrugs, smiling his lopsided forgive-me smile, and then says, "Remus?"

Remus realizes he is staring at Sirius's mouth, says, "Sorry," and leaves.

Several days later, lying on the grass beside the lake, Remus says to James, "You have got to let him go."

"He seems to have let himself go rather farther than I would have thought possible."

Half the school is out, enjoying the sun. The daredevils among them are on brooms, jousting recklessly above the waters that cover the giant squid. Sirius, undefeated for most of the morning, has just been unseated by a clever girl from Hufflepuff and rescued from the black water, laughing and yelling, by a grinning Malfoy. The two of them are zooming away on Malfoy's broom, Malfoy flying, Sirius facing him, one leg wrapped around him, his wet hair whipping Malfoy's face. 

Remus does not think he has ever seen Malfoy grin before. He says, "He's not over you and he's toying with Malfoy. Not that he means to be, or realizes that he is, but it will end badly."

"I'm not his keeper, Remus. We broke up. And by the end he wanted it as much as I did."

Remus feels a surge of rage. "No. He didn't. What the hell is wrong with you? Four years, James. And then nothing? If you're really over it, by all means, walk away, but if you were any more jealous of Malfoy right now, I think your head would explode."

James turns and looks at Remus. His expression is heavy and strange. Remus feels suddenly nervous, looking at him. James has always been the balance between them, impetuous like Sirius, but not foolhardy, practical like Remus, but not grave. But now he seems different, gloomy, burdened. James says, "I can tell you this. I've sort of told Sirius." He pauses, shreds a grass blade, takes a breath. "There's a prophecy. It requires Lily and me to be together. This is my part, Remus. I need to do it. There's going to be a child." 

Remus stares at him, says nothing for a long time. Then, gathering himself, asks, "How do you know? Are you sure?"

"Dumbledore. Very sure. And I owe Lily a real relationship, a real marriage. I need to mean it. I need to stay away from Sirius."

"But he loves you."

"No. Not like I love him. You know how he is, all fire and sincerity. He thinks he loves me, but I'm not really what he needs."

"James---"

"It's true, Remus. I wasn't that different from Malfoy, really, dragged along for the ride. He needs someone to anchor him. I've never been able to reason with him. I need someone I can reason with, Remus. I need someone sane. And he needs someone he can't push around." 

That night, Remus says to Sirius, "Quite a performance today."

"What?"

"Over the lake. You were in fine form."

"Oh, that. Was James jealous?"

"James is with Lily."

"Only officially. She's still in love with her ex. And so is he."

"You need to let him go."

"Why?"

"Because it's time. Because he wants it. Because it might be better for you."

"Moony. I never expected you to support my dalliance with Lucius Malfoy."

"Malfoy's not the only other person in the world who's interested in you."

"Certainly not! My god, Moony, most of the school is in love with me. I'd hate to think I was with Lucius because I had no choice."

"Why are you with him?"

"Because the stakes are so low, because the profile's so high, because he looks so good naked. I honestly have no idea."

"Does he?"

"Does he what?"

"Look so good naked?"

"Remus. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I… Nothing. Sorry."

One lazy afternoon, Sirius and Malfoy stumble into Malfoy's room, Sirius's shirt already off, Malfoy's mouth glued to his neck. Just before they hit the bed, Sirius suddenly grips Malfoy's head between his hands, pulling his eyes into view, and says, "About that girl last year."

Malfoy, startled and then exasperated, asks, "The dead Mudblood?"

"Lucius. For god's sake."

"Sorry. I didn't kill her."

"No?" Sirius detaches himself, walks across the room, and starts handling things on Malfoy's desk.

Malfoy watches the way the muscles ripple across Sirius's naked back as he lifts a heavy paperweight. He drops onto his elbows on the bed and says, "No. The reports of my brutality are greatly exaggerated."

"Is that so."

"Yes. That is so. You idiot. Now get over here and let me ravish you." Sirius turns around. Malfoy would gasp, just looking at him, but he knows that Sirius is bored by admiration. He raises his eyes to where Sirius's hair brushes his collar bones, notices the grim set of his usually soft mouth, something hollow in his eyes, says, "Baby. What is it?"

Sirius finds it extremely disturbing that Malfoy has settled so naturally into the idea of their "relationship," that he uses endearments James would never use with another boy, that he thinks their recent intimacy completely negates their longstanding enmity. He says, "Don't call me that."

Malfoy rolls his eyes. "Fine. Black, then. What the hell is going on?"

"Just tell me what happened."

Malfoy flops back onto the bed and blows the hair out of his face. "Funny that people think I did it. I wasn't even there. This half-Muggle girl crashed a meeting and walked into a blood barrier. I am sorry it happened, Sirius, but Muggle or no Muggle, that wasn't very bright."

Sirius is appalled. "There's a barrier that…kills people? Who aren't of pure blood?"

"Yes. For god's sake, Sirius. Everyone knows that."

"I didn't."

"You have kept yourself rather determinedly apart."

"That's murder."

"Oh, Sirius. People die all the time. Hexes go awry, that sort of thing. It's even more common among Muggles. They're always being hit by those big red filibusters---"

"Omnibuses. It isn't funny."

"No." Malfoy sits up and tries to catch Sirius's eyes, but Sirius is deeply involved in examining a fossilized dragon tooth. "Look, Sirius. I know you think I'm up to my eyeballs in this stuff, but the fact is I actually don't give a damn. I find the dark arts about as gripping as herbology." 

"Apathy isn't a defense."

"Thank you, Che Guevara." Sirius looks up, startled. Malfoy shrugs. "I liked your t-shirt. I looked it up." 

Sirius nods, not mollified. 

Malfoy sighs and says, "Come on, lover. Don't be mad." He walks across the room, stands in front of Sirius. Sirius is looking down, concentrating on the object in his hands. Malfoy presses cool finger tips to either side of Sirius's tensed jaw, gently raises his chin, waits until Sirius reluctantly lifts his eyes. Then Malfoy kisses him. 

Sirius's eyes close, but his mouth remains completely still. "You didn't do anything to stop it."

Malfoy's lips are still moving against Sirius's. He murmurs, "I told you. I wasn't even there."

"She died, Lucius. She was our year. Remus knew her."

Suddenly annoyed, Malfoy pulls away. "All right. You win. I'm evil. I don't bloody care about orphaned puppies. I like my ancient manor houses and my obsequious house elves." 

Sirius is watching him coldly. 

"But the real point is how rotten it is, hiding all the time. As far as Muggles are concerned, we don't even exist."

"That's ridiculous. We're hardly sequestered. Not performing magic in front of non-magic users---"

"We have powers they don't. They aren't our equals." 

"That's not an argument for genocide."

Malfoy sighs. "If you must know, I loathe the blood barrier. It's a sign of our fear. We're threatened by Muggles. That's why we hide from them and that's why some of us want to kill them. I myself doubt murder is the solution."

"You _doubt_ it's the solution? Fucking hell, Lucius." Without warning, Sirius hurls a heavy piece of crystal at the stone fireplace behind Malfoy. It shatters spectacularly. Malfoy, unflinching, feels a rain of tiny splinters pierce his bare back. Sirius grits his teeth, asks, "And oppression is?"

"We already have oppression. Look at how we treat goblins. Or giants. Or werewolves. Your friend Lupin, for example." 

Sirius scowls, says, "Those are problems we need to solve, not templates for changing our relations with Muggles."

"There are too many problems, Sirius. You're better off with a lesser-of-evils position."

Sirius feels battered, misses James's innocent righteousness, Remus's ability to assess the grays without losing sight of the truth. He finds his shirt, starts turning it right side out, says, "I'm going."

Malfoy pulls the shirt away from him, says, "Stay."

"You want sex after that conversation? Your cynicism exhausts me."

"Not quite all of you," says Malfoy, tugging his belt open.

"Yeah, well. Don't feel too special."

Malfoy puts his hand over Sirius's mouth and topples them onto the bed. 

In the next chapter: Lily drugs Corwyn and kisses Sirius, which makes Remus a little jealous.


	6. Remus Gets a Little Jealous

Disclaimer: Not my characters.

NB: SLASH. Plus some het smooching in this chapter.

R: For language and implied sex. 

PS: Reviews are very welcome. Thanks for reading!

The day of the Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff match, drifting along an upper story hallway in James's invisibility cloak, Sirius sees Lily standing in an alcove, arguing with Corwyn Ambring. Sirius, who is curious about the actual nature of the relations between James and Lily, not to mention Lily's infidelity, has no compunction whatsoever about eavesdropping.

Corwyn is saying, "Lily. There can't be a later. We shouldn't even be here." He is holding a lock of her curly hair in one hand, close to his mouth, and has the other arm wrapped around her waist. 

Lily has both arms around his neck. Sirius notices that she is holding a small black glass vial in both hands. She indecisively screws the cap on and off several times. "I can't believe you asked Bella to the match."

"Lily. Sweetheart. You broke up with me. You're seeing Potter, for god's sake. What the hell do you want?"

"I want you to be with me! I want you to tell me they're a bunch of hopeless bigots and you don't care about their stupid blood and you want me back! That you want to be with me forever! Not that I…disgust you." 

"God, Lily, calm down. Of course you don't disgust me---"

"Your parents wouldn't even say hello to me!" She is looking down now, pulling away and holding the mystery vial slightly behind her, out of Ambring's line of sight.

Corwyn tilts her chin up to make her meet his eyes. "I know that was hard, but you have to---"

"Corwyn!" She breaks away from him. Sirius can see her bloodless fingers gripping the black glass and it occurs to him that Lily Evans is not a wise person to cross. "You know me. You love me. Don't you? Doesn't that convince you that they're wrong?"

Now he stands back, sighs theatrically, and runs his hands through his thick blond hair. "Everything is so political with you. The truth is, I'm not going to throw away centuries of history for you. I won't do it. I can't." His voice takes on a nasty edge. "Potter, on the other hand, could obviously care less, what with his pet werewolf and his boyfriend the blood traitor." Sirius feels tiny hairs all over his body stand on end. "So you were right to pick him. Okay? Because this whole thing is just over. Now I've really got to get down to the match." It is only by the greatest act of will that Sirius prevents himself from knocking Ambring cold. 

"Just…wait," says Lily softly, suddenly seductive, moving close again and sliding her arms back around Ambring's neck. She has the vial open and swiftly tilts half its liquid contents along his bare nape.

He jerks back at the cold splash and says, "What the hell…?"

Lily, wand out, murmurs, "_Obliviate!_"

Sirius watches, intrigued, as Ambring shakes his head sleepily and glances around. "Lily? What are you---?"

"It's all right, Cor." Lily sounds convincingly light-hearted. "I don't mind about Bella. You'd better get down to the match."

Ambring looks at her curiously, then shrugs and walks away from her. 

Lily watches him go. After a moment, she recaps the vial, pockets it, leans against the casement wall, and starts sobbing hysterically. Sirius comes up behind her and gently wraps his arms around her waist. He murmurs into her ear, hushing her and telling her to breathe.

She freezes and looks down at the still-invisible arms holding her. Sirius expects her to say James's name and is startled when she whispers his. 

"Sirius?" She turns in his arms and looks up at him as he lets the cloak fall open.

"Hey," he says, a little huskily. She looks surprisingly pretty when she's crying, her face flushed pink, her lips swollen, her green eyes wet and enormous.

She stares at him, not pulling away.

He says, "Don't let that prat Ambring get to you. He isn't half the Quidditch player James is. And that is the single thing I have to say about him that doesn't involve a string of curse words that would curl, ah, straighten your hair." He tugs experimentally at one of her corkscrew locks and grins at her. 

"How long have you been here?"

"Long enough to see you hex him. And spill that potion down his back. And hear myself described as a blood traitor." 

"I poisoned him."

"What?" Sirius starts laughing. "Lily Evans. I'm shocked."

"He's going to pass out in about ninety minutes. Hopefully while he's fifty feet in the air." They are still standing close together, Sirius's arms wrapped around her. It is very awkward, but neither of them wants to move.

"Ah. The wrath of the woman scorned." Then his eyebrows shoot up. "Bloody hell, Lily. Moony and I bet ten galleons on Hufflepuff. No one will believe we didn't pull this." He adds, "Poor James."

Lily takes a breath. "James and I are together for kind of a strange reason."

"Wand to your head. Weighty prophecy and so forth. I know. James told me."

"He what?" She looks horrified. "But we're not allowed to tell anyone! Dumbledore will kill us."

"I'm a little too bitter to care. Given that Dumbledore has single-handedly destroyed my life for some abstruse higher purpose." He still has his arms around her.

"Oh, Sirius. I really am sorry. I mean, I know we can't stand each other---" 

She breaks off as Sirius leans in to kiss her. He means it as a joke, to reassure her that he is fine and also to shut her up, but her mouth is warm and salty from the tears and her tongue touches his with a delicacy that he has almost forgotten. Girls can be so much sweeter than boys. He slides one hand into her hair and one down to her hip, pressing his right thigh---

"Ahem." They break apart and whip around to face the sound of a cleared throat. 

Sirius stares. "Remus."

"I didn't think it was possible for you to sink lower than Malfoy, but I now see that the quality of one's partner is not the only determiner of abjection." 

"Remus," says Lily quickly. "It's not what you think---"

"I have more or less decided to stop thinking. The way things are going, it may be the only way to prevent my head from exploding."

When Remus is gone, Sirius sits heavily on the stone window seat and pulls Lily into his lap. She looks at him in consternation before disentangling herself. He watches her gathering her dignity and says, "Oh. Right. Sorry."

"No, it's just… I don't think I should be sitting in your _lap_ right now, Sirius."

"Very prim. That's good. I now feel quite safe from the temptation to tear your clothes off and have you right here in the hallway."

"That's what you thought was going to happen?"

"It's not really something I plan. It's more…a mood that sweeps me along. Unless it's conveniently shattered by Remus, appearing and clearing his throat. Or howling like a wolf. He's quite the stalker, Remus. All those lupine tracking skills."

She stands, looking at him oddly, and straightens her robe. Then she says, "I'll see you around, Sirius," and disappears down the hall.

::

Sirius finds Remus in the astronomy tower. Remus, tinkering with a broken telescope, would know him blindfolded, his step, his quickened breath, the way he smells of sunlight and wood smoke and Muggle motor oil. Without turning around, Remus says, "One week till the full moon."

"Yes. Um. About that back there…"

"You don't have to report to me."

"I feel like I do, though."

"Well, you don't." Remus turns around and throws himself into an armchair. Sirius runs his hands through his hair. He is flushed from running, from embarrassment, from kissing Lily Evans. Remus feels inexplicably short-tempered. "I think I'm the single remaining person in this school you haven't snogged."

"There's still McGonagall. She's a bit of uphill work."

"I'm guessing Dumbledore. Though I'd hate to presume."

"And Snivellus, of course."

"It's a relief to hear you're maintaining some standards."

Sirius laughs, dropping into the other chair and crossing his ankles over Remus's knee. He says, "God, Moony. How do you stand me?" and grins his melting grin.

"Holy hell, Sirius. Don't _flirt_ with me."

"Sorry." Then, with a suddenly serious and quite genuine expression, Sirius says, "You're my only real friend, you know."

"James will be sorry to hear that."

"Oh, James. Sometimes I think I bullied him into it. Not that he didn't enjoy himself. But he's so suggestible. Look at how seriously he's taking this bloody prophecy, for god's sake. An official mission. Now he can be bossed around by something with real authority, rather than just me."

"And Lily?"

"Yeah, that was…" Sirius laughs. "She's actually pretty sexy. Who knew? She stood up to me in the common room the other night. And poisoned Ambring, just now. If you can believe it. Quite the she-wolf. A perfect pick for protecting the miracle baby."

"These are real issues, Sirius. We're heading toward a--- She did _what_?"

"Poisoned Ambring. He's going to pitch off his broom in the middle of the match. I'm thinking it's going to look pretty bad for us, having put all that money on Hufflepuff."

"Jesus, Sirius. Yes, it is. Is there an antidote?"

"No idea. Snape might know."

"He won't help us."

Sirius grins lazily. "He might help me."

::

They find Snape in the Potions storeroom. He looks at them dubiously.

Sirius says, "A friend of ours just used a potion to knock someone out---"

"Ah, Miss Evans. A girl after my own heart. You know she was almost a Slytherin?"

"You gave her that potion? You are such a lowly worm, Snape. We need the antidote."

"Assuming there is one, why would I give it to you?"

"Well," says Sirius, dropping his long-lashed eyes and idly sliding a beaker across the table between them, "It strikes me that---"

"Shut up, Sirius," says Remus, looking at Snape. "You'll do it because the professors bloody well know that you're the only student capable of making that potion. And with Ravenclaw out, Slytherin would be well on its way to the Quidditch finals."

Snape smiles unpleasantly. "My lack of interest in Quidditch is notorious. No one will believe I care."

"Your lack of friends is also notorious. They might believe you did it to buy a lull in the loneliness."

"A long shot, Lupin."

"Maybe. I also have a back up plan."

"And what's that?"

"Beating you to a bloody pulp."

"The beast is never more than a few inches beneath the surface, is he, Lupin? And people are all aflutter about Mudbloods. Just think what they'd do if they knew about you." 

A sharp crack yanks their attention to Sirius, who is still holding one large shard from the beaker he has just crushed with his fingers. Blood runs from his hand. He says, "Don't fucking talk to him like that. Snivellus."

Remus says, "Sirius. Calm down."

"God, you make me sick. With your vicious sanctimony and your fucking blood barriers."

"You didn't seem so sick this morning. Leaving Lucius's room. All dreamy and tousled."

Sirius flushes darkly and says nothing. 

Remus looks back and forth between them. "That's enough. Both of you." He turns back to Snape. "Is that a threat?"

"Maybe." He adds, "Evans knows."

Sirius says, "James must have told her."

Remus says, "All right, Snape. You haven't outed me yet; I doubt you'll waste it on this. What do you want for the antidote?"

Snape folds his arms across his chest, tilts his head, and licks his lips, considering. Finally, he says, "I'd settle for a night with Black."

Remus says, "No."

Snape says, "Let him answer."

Remus doesn't even look at Sirius. "No. Pick something else."

Snape shrugs. "That's my final offer."

Remus turns to leave, pulling Sirius with him.

::

Walking up from the dungeons, Remus says, "Any other brilliant ideas?"

"We could go watch the match. And then blow our ill-gotten gains getting drunk in Hogsmeade."

Remus grins in spite of himself. "May as well enjoy the spectacle."

They find seats in the Gryffindor box beside Lily and Andromeda. Lily is taut with tension. Sirius runs a hand along her arm and murmurs something to her. She drops her eyes but doesn't move away. Remus watches them and then looks up to see Andromeda's eyes on him. He asks, "Where's James?"

"Coming. He was in with Dumbledore again." Remus nods, remembering James's uncharacteristic gloom that day by the lake, and turns to watch the start of the match.

Ambring, like James, is both team captain and Seeker. He is a great favorite, burly and graceful, with a blond lion's mane and a careless air of command. When he appears on the field, Ravenclaw goes wild. Ambring climbs onto his broom and spirals up through the stands, waving. Remus, watching, thinks that James is more sinuous and creative in the air, but Ambring has a quality of easy power that is intimidating. Even from this distance, he looks large. 

The first ten minutes of the game go smoothly. The best of the Ravenclaw chasers scores twice and then is knocked sideways by a well-aimed bludger. Hufflepuff slips in and scores to excited cheers from their own house, as well as raucous shrieks of triumph from Gryffindor.

Remus murmurs to Sirius. "This is not going to look good at all."

Sirius holds one hand up to his face and looks through his fingers. "Any time now. I can't even watch."

It doesn't happen all at once. First Ambring sways a few times over his broom. Then the entire broom swoops, first right and then left. It is not immediately noticeable to the crowd below, as the Seeker's search for the snitch usually follows an erratic flight path. Soon, however, it is clear that something is very wrong. The Quidditch coach blows her whistle to call a time-out just as three of Ambring's teammates streak toward him, desperate to reach him before he plummets thirty feet to the ground.

They are just too late. He slips and drops, head first. Five feet above the grass, his body smacks to a dead halt, magic rippling the air around him like heat distortion.

Remus looks sideways to see Lily, wand out, an expression of intense concentration on her face as she gently lowers Ambring the rest of the way to the ground. Then she faints into Sirius's arms.

James appears just in time to witness this. Sirius says, "Prongs. It's not what it looks like. Take your girlfriend. We have to get out of here right now."

James looks horrified. "You didn't---"

"No. But I don't feel like trying to explain that to McGonagall. So let's just go. Now. All right? Move." James shoulders Lily and follows Remus and Sirius out of the stands and across the lawn to the Whomping Willow. Halfway there, they all realize Andromeda is still with them.

She says, "Where are we going?" James, Remus, and Sirius all look at one another. "Shouldn't we take Lily up to the hospital wing?"

James says, "She'll be fine."

Remus says, "Hogsmeade."

Sirius says, "I think she could use a drink."

Andromeda crosses her arms and regards them with a combination of exasperation and disbelief. "Right. Good plan. And you're just going to march down there in the middle of the afternoon carrying an unconscious girl over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes?"

Sirius says, "Oh, shit. Drom. Don't be mad, but, ah…" He leads her into a grove of trees, slips out his wand, and says, "_Obliviate!_"

When he emerges, Remus has already hit the knot on the Whomping Willow and James is disappearing down the passage with Lily. 

::

When James decides to stay with Lily in the Shrieking Shack until she revives, Remus and Sirius shrug and nod and head out to the pub by themselves.

After several drinks, Remus brings himself to say, "Snape. That was disturbing."

Sirius regards him gloomily. "You have no idea."

Remus says delicately, "I meant about, ah, me."

"Oh, right. The thing is, Moony, he's never had much leverage. First of all, you're under Dumbledore's protection, and second of all, a whole lot of people already know. It's kind of old news. I mean, Malfoy knows."

"Beautiful. I'll assume you didn't tell him." Sirius looks wounded. Remus grits out, "How?"

"Snape, probably. Malfoy made a crack about it at Bella's sister's wedding last summer, but I knew he wouldn't spread it around." Sirius regards Remus with a combination of guilt and defiance. "I didn't want to worry you." He adds, almost lightly, "It came up the first time he came onto me."

Remus decides to ignore everything before this last piece of information. "Before or after the pick up line?"

"Pretty much as part of it. He said you were a special case. But he'd be happy to bump off Lily for me."

"My god, Sirius. Remind me why you're sleeping with that homicidal maniac?"

"He didn't kill that girl last year. I asked him."

"Right. And you figure his saying no means---"  
"I can't explain it, Moony, but I do know. Let's not talk about it." He pauses. "Ambring knows."

"What?"

"Yeah. He told Lily she was better off with James because of his fondness for werewolves and blood traitors."

"Jesus."

"He's right, though. She is better off with James."

"What about you?"

"If James's decision is right for him, he isn't right for me."

"Very philosophical."

"I do wish he weren't so humorless about it."

"They're dealing with a lot, Sirius. Both of them. What's coming is going to be---"

"I know, Remus. God. And I will fight when the time comes. You know I will. I'll be very valiant. But right now, there's still time to have fun."

"With Malfoy."

Sirius sighs. "Not really. He's so focused on this pureblood business. And you were right. I've been careless with him. The whole thing is kind of a mess. "

"What are you going to do?"

"Break it off." Sirius looks at him and holds his eyes. "And you were right about something else. I do have other friends."

Remus feels his body temperature spike. Something flutters in his chest like a bird. He says, "Sirius…"

But Sirius is already standing and stretching, gesturing at their empty glasses. "You want another?"

Remus feels dizzy, as if a void has just opened and closed at his feet. "I, uh… Yeah. Sure. Do you need---?"

"Nope. My turn." Sirius picks up the glasses and looks at Remus again. "Thanks, Moony. I do love you, you know." Then he grins and walks across the room to the bar.

::

In the next chapter: Sirius dumps Malfoy, who plots his revenge.


	7. Malfoy Plots His Revenge

Disclaimer: Not my characters.

Rating: R for language & implied sex.

AN: The last chapter got too long, so I've split it in two. This builds up to the battle after which Remus will _finally_ get some attention from Sirius. 

The repercussions of the Ambring incident are dramatic. Lily breaks down and confesses everything to McGonagall who docks so many points from Gryffindor that their chances of winning the house cup are reduced to zero. Most of the house won't even talk to Lily. Ambring takes Lily's prank as a sign that he should never have gotten entangled with a Mudblood. He allies himself so aggressively with the school's pure-blooded factions that he begins to challenge Malfoy's leadership.

Malfoy, who has always loathed Ambring's easy charisma, finds himself less concerned with putting Ambring in his place than he should be. It's like all this time with Sirius has undermined his megalomania. Power politics don't seem that interesting anymore. Besides, Ambring's humiliation at the hands of a Muggle-born probably outstrips any retaliation Malfoy could devise. 

The recognition that he is looking forward to laughing with Sirius about the victory of one of Sirius's mongrel cohorts over a boy from his own clique, a boy who shares his bone-deep values and convictions, is like a cool breath of doom. God, thinks Malfoy with a residual iota of self-preservation, I've totally fallen for him. This can't be good. But he smiles as he thinks it.

A few days after the match, Sirius and Malfoy have Potions together. They are leaning over a cauldron. Malfoy feels Sirius's hair against his face, closes his eyes and breathes him in, accidentally inhales some fumes, laughs dizzily, and looks up to see Sirius watching him with a stricken expression. Malfoy feels his blood thin and drain out of his head, out of his heart. He doesn't allow a single muscle to flicker in his face as the whole lovely confectionary fairy tale crashes to the ground around him.

After a moment, he straightens, glances away across the classroom, and says, pleasantly, "Ah. The tide has turned."  
"Lucius---"

"Don't patronize me." 

After class, they pack up their things slowly, waiting until everyone else has left. Malfoy says, "So. This is the end. Very tragic. Now I'll have to destroy you."

Sirius just watches him.

Malfoy is trembling slightly. "If you're waiting for me to ask you why, I won't."

"Lucius," says Sirius, moving closer and putting his hands on Malfoy's hips.

Malfoy says, "Don't touch me," but he doesn't move, and when Sirius kisses him, gently, no tongue, his eyelids drop, and Sirius remembers the feel of those luminous lashes like luna wings against his skin. When they draw apart, Malfoy's pale gray eyes look different, shuttered, flat as steel. 

In angry need of action, Malfoy stalks back to the dungeon and decides to challenge Ambring to a duel after all. He pictures them at midnight on the Quidditch field, surrounded by a discreet audience of Slytherin pure-bloods and accompanied by seconds. When he realizes that he is automatically imagining _Sirius_ standing behind him, arms crossed, legs apart, cloak billowing in the low late wind, he screeches incoherently and blindly hexes several of the tapestries lining the dungeon corridor. They burst into flame in his wake and he slams into the common room in a rank cloud of heavy smoke. 

"I thought that might be you," drawls a lazy voice from the depths of a green velvet sofa. Julian is lying on his back, a book open across his chest, twirling a hank of dark red hair in one hand. Malfoy strides across the room and stands over him, glaring, still too furious to speak. After a moment, the sight of Julian lying there, smirking serenely, begins to calm him. Oh, yes, Malfoy thinks, I remember this. Julian is beautiful. His skin is golden, dark for a redhead, and his eyes are cold and gray. Malfoy suddenly recollects how fully Julian used to hold his attention. Before Sirius. Come to think of it, Julian actually started this whole bloody mess with Sirius.

He sits petulantly at the end of the sofa, lifts Julian's feet ungently into his lap, and says, "This is all your fault." Julian lifts a delicate eyebrow, waiting to see if Malfoy actually wants to talk to him about Black. But apparently not. Instead, Malfoy announces, "I've decided to challenge Ambring after all. You'll be my second."

"Lucius. How very touching. You can't mean me?" 

"Shut up, Julian. Yes. I need to figure out what the hell I'm---"

"The thing is, Lucius, darling," murmurs Julian, closing his book and draping himself back against the couch, "I don't think I will."

"What?" Malfoy is outraged.

"Lucius. Stop glaring at me like a deranged tyrant. What exactly are you planning to do to him?" 

"Make an example."

"You don't really want to do that."

"No?"

"No. A Ravenclaw lieutenant could serve you well. Let him off the hook and attack a common enemy. "

Julian is right, of course. Half the reason they've been together so long is that Julian reminds Malfoy of the cardinal importance of remaining ice cold. Malfoy's most disturbing flaw, in his own estimation, is a sort of emotional hedonism, a sort of…he struggles to grit it out even in his own mind…a sort of sentimentality. Look at this bloody mess with Black, for instance. Well, it's time to reestablish the separation of sex and actual life. "I assume you have a plan."

Julian smirks. "I always have a plan." And he does. Standing in the Charms hallway earlier in the week, he overheard Black and Potter discussing a twilight assignation at the Whomping Willow on the night of the full moon. Malfoy keeps his face carefully still. Julian says, "You want Black, Ambring wants Potter. It's perfect." Julian smiles and contemplates his own elegant wand hand for a moment, "To quote the eloquent Ambring, we can 'really hex the shit out of them.'"

Malfoy forces himself to laugh. "Sounds very satisfying."

"Yes. But covering Black in tiny tentacles is just a bonus. The _point_ is the opportunity to range a major Ravenclaw on our side. Draw some battle lines."

"You think he'll do it."

"He'll jump to do it. His girlfriend of two years left him for his Quidditch rival after fouling him out of the match. He wants to shred the Muggle-loving Potter into tiny, sticky bits and eat them. And if he doesn't jump, you'll make him. We need a little more alpha dog around here, Lucius. You've been very disappointing lately." 

Malfoy groans and presses his hands against his face. "All right. Just get him in here. I'm going to have a bath."

When Malfoy returns to the common room, pale hair dripping into the towel slung around his neck, Ambring is already waiting for him, sitting in an armchair in front of the fire, tossing back the drink someone has brought him.

Malfoy sits on the other side of the fireplace and crosses his legs. "Ambring."

"Malfoy. This is about the duel?"

"There isn't going to be a duel."

"Worried I could take you?"

"Let me spare you the embarrassment of answering that. I understand you used to date Miss Evans?"

"Uh… Yeah."

"Very distressing. That business at the match. Being so soundly cursed by your ex after her quite public dismissal of you for a rival Seeker."

Ambring's eyes narrow. "No worse than you and your little blood traitor."

"No?" Malfoy watches Ambring with studied curiosity.

Ambring concentrates on the ice in his glass and says in a tone that is both harsh and oddly sympathetic, "Look. I saw you in their corridor the other day."

Malfoy's expression doesn't change, but inwardly he cringes. Wonderful. Ambring saw him, miles from his own territory, begging Sirius Black to sleep with him. How humiliating. And that was before Sirius dumped him. 

Malfoy leans back in his chair with exaggerated laziness and says coldly, "You have two choices. We can have this stupid duel and I'll hex your eyeballs out of your head, or we can combine our skills against Black and Potter. They're planning to be out of bounds after curfew in a few nights. I thought we might ambush them."

"And then what? You're in charge?"

"Yes."

Malfoy can see Ambring bridling, but the hexing threat is not idle. And knowledge of Malfoy's humiliation at Sirius's hands doesn't constitute real power. Finally, Ambring says. "Fine. We're on the same side. And I'm sick of what those idiots get away with. But it's not exactly a direct hit on Lily."

Malfoy muses for a moment. "You might remark to people that Mudblood girls are more carnal than cats in heat. Which is true, by the way. None of this prissy pure-blooded distaste for, ah, variations on the theme."

Ambring looks startled. "Pure-blooded girls aren't into raunchy sex?"

Malfoy smirks at him. "Why do you think I sleep with boys?"

"Beautiful," groans Ambring. "I can't start on boys, Malfoy. I just…urgh."

"Mistresses," says Malfoy, waving a dismissive hand. "Marry an appropriate woman and keep mistresses. In the meantime, out Lily Evans as a hot slut. I promise you, it will be very satisfying."

"That won't hurt her where she lives. I want you to scare her. Tell her she's high on our hit list. Freak the hell out of her. I mean, seriously, Malfoy. We lost to _Hufflepuff_."

Malfoy laughs. "There _are_ worse things than genocide." He has to stop himself from automatically adding, _I'll have to tell Sirius_.

The next day, Sirius walks out of the dining hall to hear Malfoy's voice in the foyer, soft with venom. Lily is facing him, shivering with rage, tears starting in her eyes. Sirius walks over, drapes an arm around her, and smiles his blinding smile at Malfoy. "Everything all right over here?"

"Black. Don't you look…protective. What do you want?"

"Just taking an interest in the happiness of the lovely Lily." 

"Sirius," says Lily angrily, shaking him off, "I don't need you to defend me." 

"Is that right?" He touches her face gently as she looks away, "Why are you crying?"

"You heard the lady. I think you should get out of here." 

"Or what?" asks Sirius, pleasantly. They square off, Malfoy smug, Sirius no longer smiling. He says, without looking at her, "I'll do whatever you want, Lily. Should I go?"

Malfoy says, "What an impressive guard dog, Miss Evans. I wonder whether you've enjoyed any of his other, ah, capabilities." 

Lily's expression hardens. "You disgust me, Malfoy. With all your idiotic mumbo jumbo about my future. You and your inbred army haven't a prayer. And you," turning to Sirius, "What side are you even on?"

"Mumbo jumbo?" Malfoy cocks an eyebrow. "Am I right that that's a skeptical Muggle term for magic? Miss Evans. Six and a half years and still---"

Lily says, "Malfoy. Shut up. We're done here. If you two want an audience for your little homoerotic drama, it won't be me."

"But, darling," says Malfoy silkily, leaning toward her, "I know how much you like to watch."

Sirius inserts himself instantly between them and punches Malfoy hard in the face. Malfoy staggers, recovers, and swings at Sirius. Sirius grabs his arm, tumbling into him and then they are rolling across the floor, grappling. Malfoy, on top, braces his forearm against Sirius' throat, and says, "So you want it a little rougher. I can do that." Their faces are very close together. Sirius can see Malfoy looking at his mouth, takes advantage of his loss of focus to flip him over, straddles him and grabs his wrists. Malfoy writhes slightly and murmurs, "I'd be happy to let the little Mudblood watch."

"Shut up, Lucius." 

"You did warn me to stay away from her. But I've lost track of the threat. It was overshadowed by the, ah, kissing." Sirius is pretty sure he threatened to beat Malfoy until he couldn't talk, but right now he is suddenly very conscious of Malfoy's long body beneath him. He can feel Malfoy's erection pressing into his leg and has never been so relieved to feel Remus grabbing him around the shoulders and yanking him to his feet. 

Remus' eyes are hooded, unreadable. Sirius shrugs free and straightens his clothes. Blood is running from his nose. 

Malfoy has a cut on one cheekbone and will have a black eye. He shakes off the two Gryffindors holding him, looks at Remus looking at Sirius, belatedly registers the way Sirius's eyes dropped shut with relief when Remus dragged them apart. He shoots a piercing look at Remus and says to Sirius, "So. Rougher indeed." 

Sirius ignores him and walks over to Lily. "All right?"

"No thanks to you. And don't pretend that was about me. I'm not sure why you broke up with him. You obviously can't keep your hands off him. Nor do I appreciate your beating up Corwyn. I hope you know he won't be able to play Quidditch for a month." Remus's eyebrows shoot to the top of his head. 

Sirius looks at her for a slow moment and says, "He's always irritating someone who can keep him off the Quidditch field." 

"Do you ever actually talk to anyone, Sirius? Or is it all just fighting or fucking?" Sirius looks shocked and then contrite. Lily sighs and says, "Look, I know you care about James, but please just stay away from us."

Sirius watches her leave and then turns to see Remus looking at him. Remus says, "Glad to see you've gotten that all straightened out." Sirius snorts and rubs at his bloody face with his sleeve. Remus continues, "Two days till the full moon. Just us, this time, I think."

"Believe me, Moony, I can't tell you how I'm looking forward to it."

Remus, watching Sirius walk away, thinks, _No. And I can't tell you, either_. 


	8. Remus Finally Gets What He Wants

Disclaimer: Not my characters.

Rating: R for language & implied sex.

AN: This is the conclusion, at long last. Special thanks to my reviewers & thanks to everyone for reading. 

On the evening of the full moon, Remus and Sirius walk down to the Whomping Willow together. Remus is always quiet just before the change, but Sirius feels an additional ripple. He says, "What's up, Moony?" Remus says nothing and Sirius continues, "I may be hideously self-involved, but I do worry when your taciturnity reaches epic proportions. Moony? Seriously. What's going on?"

Remus stops walking and looks at him. "You are an idiot, Sirius."

Sirius is confused for a moment and then, reading Remus's look, says, "Oh. Oh my god."

"Yes. Are you happy now?" Remus starts walking again.

Sirius grabs his arm. "Moony. I had no idea. You're always so irritated with me. It's kind of grounding, really. It's why I trust you. It's why you're the only person I trust." He pulls Remus around to face him and grins a little. "I thought you were immune to my charms."

Remus yanks away and continues across the lawn. "Well I'm not. Apparently."

"Though I'm sure you've struggled valiantly against them." Remus can hear the laughter in Sirius's voice, stops again as Sirius grabs his shoulder and says, "Moony. Will you stop walking already? For god's sake. You can't just---" He breaks off at the sight of Malfoy and half a dozen Slytherins standing in a loose formation in front of the Willow.

Malfoy says, "Mr. Black. Mr. Lupin. Very prompt."

"What do you want, Lucius?"

"To interrupt your assignation. Obviously. And possibly pick off some mongrels."

"James isn't coming."

"But then, as it turns out, James isn't really my rival. Is he?"

"What? What the hell are you talking about?" Sirius looks behind him. Remus's face is like stone in the twilight. His wand is already loose in his hand. Sirius draws his own, assesses Malfoy and his armed cohorts, and notes that the Ravenclaw Ambring is among them, still sporting the two black eyes Sirius gave him for praising the depravity of Muggle-born girls to a crowd of sniggering pure-blooded boys. And Julian is there, smirking evilly. Sirius says, "So this is your little pure-blooded army. Very impressive. I'm sure you'll have no trouble taking over the world."

"Scoff if you must. Later, looking down at your broken body, I'm sure I'll shed a tear for spilling all that blue blood."

Sirius laughs. "Just try to avoid spilling anything else."

Malfoy sounds regretful. "I did warn you."

"I may kill you." 

"I doubt you'll have the chance."

Sirius suddenly realizes they're surrounded and is relieved to feel the warmth of Remus's broad back against his own. He mutters, "How long till the change?"

"Two hours. Give or take. We'll make it. Just try not to kill anyone."

Sirius laughs again, a little hysterically, and then sparks are flying. Sirius hears Remus successfully extract someone's wand, watches his own spell knock someone else flat, feels a searing pain in his left arm, manages to dodge a blow that hits someone on Remus's other side. Now it's two to four. Much better odds. With one mind, Remus and Sirius turn their sides together and start backing toward the Willow. 

Normally Peter presses the knot for them, or one of them shoots a rock at it. Walking backward into it may well kill them, but Malfoy is approaching with poison in his eyes, flanked by his soldiers, and Sirius and Remus are barely repelling their attacks. Offense is out of the question. They can hear the Willow's branches swishing hungrily behind them.

Malfoy says, "What a delightful ending. Now that you're about to die, you may as well know, Black, you are quite persuasive. Particularly in the sack. I very nearly wavered on my pure-blood position for you."

Sirius, startled, says, "What?" and promptly loses a hank of black hair as one of the Slytherins' missiles flies by him.

"For heaven's sake, Sirius," hisses Remus. "Concentrate."

Several minutes pass in intense focus on exchanging bolts. Twice Sirius feels the Willow's leaves whip the back of his legs. Remus launches a hex that temporarily turns Julian's bones to rubber. Sirius and Malfoy shoot and block and shoot and block.

The sound of the Willow's branches pounding behind them is deafening. Remus mutters, "Don't back up any farther. We're right at the---"

Malfoy smiles evilly and says, "Goodbye, lover. I like it that my face is the last thing you'll ever---"

The whoosh of two brooms comes from above and James yells, "Sirius!" 

Lily, right behind him, shouts, "Remus! Watch out!" and then reverses Ambring's wand so that he drops himself, hard, to the ground. Now it's only two on two. Sirius advances on Malfoy, who smiles at him, tosses his wand to one side, and jauntily holds up his clenched fists. Sirius drops his own wand and throws himself on Malfoy. Lily, hanging above them says, "God, James. They're going to kill each other."

Remus, who has dispatched the last of Malfoy's Slytherins, watches with an odd expression on his face as Sirius and Malfoy roll across the grass trying to strangle one another. James lands next to him, touches his arm, and says, "Don't worry. Malfoy may be enjoying himself but Sirius is just really, really angry. Trust me." Remus looks at him gratefully.

Lily, exasperated, shoots her wand at the struggling boys. They freeze instantly. Remus and James stare at her. "I cannot believe you were just going to stand there and watch them go at it. They're frozen. They'll be fine. In about twelve hours." Then she turns to Remus and raises her eyebrows. "I guess you'll have to carry him."

Remus looks back and forth between them. They both grin and James throws his arm over Lily. "Seriously, Moony. We kind of got maneuvered into this, but now we're pretty happy about it. Right, Lil?"

She reaches up and kisses his cheek. "Weird but true, Remus. So take your, ah, winnings and get the hell out of here."

Remus shrugs, extricates Sirius from Malfoy's grip, and slings him over his shoulder. Then he stops, alarmed, and says, "But he won't be able to change."

Lily says, "Oh, hell. I didn't even think of that." 

"You can't undo it?" 

She shakes her head.

James says, "I'll come with you, Moony. Let's run him up to the dorm and then---"

Lily suddenly yanks her bag off her shoulder, and starts rooting through it. "I might have a better idea…if you don't mind a bit of a hangover…" She finds something and tosses it to Remus.

He catches it in his free hand and looks at it. It's a small black glass vial. "What's this?"

"What I used on Ambring. Just rub it on your skin and you'll be out about as long as Sirius. You may feel a little squiffy tomorrow but I have it on very good authority that it works on werewolves." James and Remus are both staring at her. "According to Snape."

"Ah. Yes. Your new best friend."

"He owed me a favor. Remus! Don't look at me like that. Not that kind of favor! Just go." She laughs. "We'll see you tomorrow."

Remus grins a little goofily at them, and tucks the vial in his pocket. James tosses a well-aimed rock at the knot and Remus, carrying Sirius, disappears down the passage to the Shrieking Shack.

When Sirius wakes up the next morning, he feels like a giant has been holding him by the ankles and whacking his body against a tree. He is astonished to find himself lying in the bed in the Shrieking Shack beside a snoring Remus, both of them wearing pajama bottoms. His last memory is of trying to strangle Malfoy on the lawn in front of the Willow. He has no recollection of becoming Padfoot, cannot imagine how he survived a full-moon night with Remus in human form. After a few minutes, he shakes Remus awake.

"What?" asks Remus, groggily, rolling over. "Oh. It's you."

"Yes. It's me. You big lout. How the hell did I get here?"

"I didn't ravish you, if that's what you're worried about."

Sirius starts laughing. "Oh no? Why not?"

"Too skinny."

"What? I am not. Moony. That cuts me to my soul."

"I don't usually ravish anyone I can actually carry off a battlefield. It's a little too hetero."

"Really. And what the hell are you?"

"Not that. Anymore. Apparently."

"That's promising." Sirius pushes himself up on his right elbow. His tensed shoulder, despite Remus's complaints, looks huge, hard muscled. Remus wants to bite it. Or maybe rub it with his teeth. Sirius watches him staring, touches his tongue to his upper lip, growls, "A shame I'm not butch enough for you."

"Perhaps the jury's still out." Remus's voice is a little thick. He rises onto his left arm, looks at Sirius's narrowed eyes and swollen mouth, the rapid pulse beating in his neck, and feels his throat tighten.

Sirius murmurs, "I might surprise you. We can find out."

Remus doesn't answer, just pushes Sirius onto his back, wraps his hands around his head, and starts kissing him.

The End 


End file.
